


Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

by bittlebunny (american_homos_story)



Series: Assorted AUs [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, High School AU, M/M, an interesting concept, bitty and parse are brothers, except he isn't bitty he is eric parson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 14:32:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7109248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/american_homos_story/pseuds/bittlebunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even if Jack wasn’t considering this a date (I mean why would he? Kent hadn’t made it sound like one), Kent refuses to have Jack come to his house, only to hit on <em>his younger brother</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

**Author's Note:**

> I guess I could've put this in my Tumblr Fic Comp but idk I really feel like it needs to stand alone for some reason??? For those of you who have heard me talking about writing a high school au, this is NOT IT!!! I mean. It _is_ a high school au but I plan to write like a multi-chapter, legit one. Anyway. The original prompt was _**best friend's sibling au**_

“Kent, whenever your friends come over, they leave the house smelling like alcohol,” Eric whines, following his brother around the house. Kent is ignoring him, looking down at his phone.

“Can you at least make sure you clean up before you inevitably pass out,” Eric asks urgently. “Last time everybody was basically dead and  _I_  was the one who had to rush and clean up to make sure mom and dad didn’t find out.”

Kent stops. Eric runs into his back.

“Eric,” Kent says, rolling his eyes, “that was one time. Plus, this isn’t those friends.”

“Oh?” Eric asks, waiting for Kent to continue.

Kent scoffs. “Like I’m gonna tell you my business.”

Eric throws his hands up, smirking slightly. “Alright, then.”

“It’s Jack,” Kent surrenders. He’s too excited  _not_ to talk about it.

“That’s what I thought,” Eric says with a smile, punching Kent’s shoulder.

He’s been listening to his older brother go on and on about this Jack guy for weeks now, but he’s yet to meet him. His brother knows him well, though. Kent knows that smile.

“Oh, hell no. You’re gonna lock yourself in your room while he’s here,” Kent grumbles, going back to his phone and sitting at the counter in the kitchen.

“Why,” Eric asks, “is it a daaate?”

“Pshh. As if.”

Eric chuckles. “C’mon Kenny, you like him, don’t you?”

“He’s my best friend!” Kent says.

“You didn’t answer the question.”

Kent sighs. “Shut up.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Eric says.

* * *

Kent’s heart almost falls out of his ass when the doorbell rings. He doesn’t really know why he’s so nervous; he hangs out with Jack all the time. They have hockey practice almost every day, and they go out afterwards more than half of those days. Still, it’s weird thinking that Jack will actually be at his house.

He smooths out his hair and looks at himself in the hall mirror one last time before opening the door with a smile.

Jack is standing there, a slightly dopey smile on his face. He’s wearing joggers and a t-shirt. Kent feels overdressed.

“Zimms! Come on in!”

Jack nods and follows Kent through the doorway, pausing to pull his shoes off.

“Your house is nice,” he says thoughtfully.

Kent laughs. What a  _Jack_  thing to say.

“I brought the new Mario Kart,” he continues. “You mentioned the other day that you hadn’t gotten around to it yet.” He pulls it out of the small backpack he has with him.

Kent smiles. “Sweet! The Wii is downstairs,” he says, leading Jack through the house and towards the basement. When they pass the kitchen, he stops. He smells baking, which means trouble.

Kent pokes his head into the kitchen, sighing when he sees Eric standing in front of the stove. His earbuds are in and he’s dancing wildly, humming along to some pop song Kent’s never heard.

“Er,” he says, trying to get his attention. He doesn’t hear him. “ _Er,”_ he repeats, but Eric continues to dance.

At this point, Kent’s standing in the kitchen and Jack’s poking his head in the doorway, too.

“ _Eric,”_  Kent practically shouts.

Eric gasps and almost drops his phone, ripping out one of the earbuds and turning around.

“Oh! Hey, Kenny. And you must be Jack,” he says, walking around the island. He sticks out his hand. Jack shakes it, a little awkwardly.

“You never told me you have a brother,” Jack says.

“Right now,” Kent grumbles, “I don’t.”

Eric giggles. “Apparently I embarrass him; he asked me to lock myself in my room. Which I did, at first!” he assures Kent. “But then I found this weird cookie recipe and I had to try it out!”

“You bake?” Jack asks. He sounds genuinely interested. Kent is  _not_  happy.

Eric nods. “You can try a cookie when they’re done, if you want!”

“Sure, I’d like that,” Jack responds. He doesn’t smile like that too often.

Kent grabs Jack’s arm and starts to drag him out of the kitchen.

“Um, bye for now, I guess,” Jack says to Eric. He just smiles in return.

Kent rolls his eyes. “You don’t wanna talk to him much longer than that,” he says once they’re out of earshot. “I barely survive meals.”

Jack shrugs, following Kent down the stairs. “He seems sweet.”

Kent laughs bitterly. Jack drops the subject for a while.

* * *

It isn’t until his third loss that Kent starts to get frustrated. He’s the undisputed champion of Mario Kart in his household. Jack was probably just getting lucky or something, right? 

Kent tells Jack it’s only because he isn’t familiar with the new courses yet. 

Jack responds: “Sure, Kent.”

Kent almost wins the fourth and final race, but Jack gets a blue shell during the final lap and manages to secure a perfect score. Kent groans and sets his controller down.

“I’m starting to question my whole life,” he says dramatically.

Jack chuckles. “Maybe we should take a break?”

Kent nods.

“How old is he?” Jack asks.

Kent raises an eyebrow. “Eric? 16. He’s a sophomore. Why?”

Jack shrugs. Kent glares at him warily.

“Is he single?”

Kent’s jaw drops and he frowns at Jack. Even if Jack wasn’t considering this a date (I mean why would he? Kent hadn’t made it sound like one), Kent refuses to have Jack come to his house, only to hit on  _his younger brother._

He’s not able to respond though, because Eric comes down the stairs. He has a plate of cookies.

Jack turns his head. Kent wants to slap him, but for now, he restrains himself.

“Here you go!” Eric says cheerfully, smiling at Jack. He sets the plate down on the coffee table in front of him.

“What are they?” Jack asks. He picks one up cautiously, examining it.

Eric’s eyes light up. “Glad you asked! They’re peanut butter and jelly cookies!”

Jack raises an eyebrow. Kent huffs. 

Eric continues: “Basically, they’re fancy peanut butter cookies with a dollop of jam spread. You’re not allergic, are you?” Eric asks. His expression has shifted from joy to horror. He hadn’t thought to ask that earlier.

“No, I’m not,” Jack says, laughing. Eric’s worry melts as Jack takes a bite, raising his free hand as a chunk falls off.

“Oh, careful! They’re still kinda warm, so they might fall apart.”

Kent rolls his eyes. “Shouldn’t you have waited for them to cool before you put the jam on?”

“What?” Eric says innocently.

Kent isn’t an idiot. He knows that Eric knows better, so the only explanation was that he was in a rush to get the cookies to Jack.

“If you put the jam on while they’re still warm, it gets all runny. It’s gross.”

Jack shakes his head. “It’s not! I like it!”

Eric beams at Jack, then sticks his tongue out at Kent.

“Fuck off,” Kent grumbles. Eric flips him off.

Jack finishes the cookie, giggling at the brotherly interaction.

“Aren’t you gonna try one, Kenny?” Eric asks, batting his lashes.

Kent rolls his eyes and leans over Jack, grabbing a cookie and taking a bite. He can’t deny that it tastes good.

“So, you two need anything else? More snacks? A drink?”

“Your number?” Jack blurts out.

All three faces go various shades of red.

“Um. Yes,” Eric breathes. He recites his number to Jack, who types it into his phone with shaky fingers.

“Cool. I’ll text you,” Jack says after he’s calmed down slightly.

Eric nods. “Thanks! I mean, yes. I mean. Yeah, cool,” he stutters. He then practically sprints up the stairs.

Jack watches him go, smiling and laughing through his nose. When he turns around Kent is glaring at him.

“What?” Jack asks, oblivious. “You’re not still mad about Mario Kart, are you?”

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna check this out on Tumblr, here it is! ([X](http://bittlebunny.tumblr.com/post/145483009243/21-can-you-make-it-pbj-i-dont-know-how-youre))
> 
> Also, talk to me!! I love comments and I'd love to hear what y'all think of this :D


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